Design work has commenced on $400M Western Australia road and rail project

A team encompassing up to 90 staff collectively from BG&E and GHD will join Main Roads Western Australia to complete design work for the Tonkin Highway Corridor helping to reinvigorate Perth’s economy.

The Tonkin Gap Alliance, comprising a mix of Tier 2 local and Australian Owned Contractors including Georgiou Group, BMD and WA Limestone, as well as designers BG&E and GHD will deliver detailed design and infrastructure works to alleviate a major bottleneck – improving traffic flows, travel times and road safety.

Erik Geidans, GHD Western Australia Market Leader, Transport, says “GHD’s approach is integrated and collaborative to ensure innovative and cost-effective infrastructure delivery systems. This project has multiple touch points that excite us, including the opportunity to design a new multi-span bridge structure over the Swan River. We are also looking forward to deepening ties with local contractors within the alliance to scale innovation and fast-track outcomes.”

The $400M, government funded Tonkin Gap Project And Associated Works will eliminate the current ‘gap’ in road infrastructure between two significant projects recently completed by Main Roads Western Australia – Gateway WA and NorthLink WA Stages 1 and 2.

This will deliver significant safety improvements to the road, active transport and pedestrian network. In addition, the Tonkin Gap Alliance will undertake rail enabling works to support delivery of the METRONET Morley to Ellenbrook train line separately funded and delivered by Main Roads on behalf of the Public Transport Authority.

“The project will have a number of delivery challenges,” says Erik. “The alliance will have to embrace an alternative delivery approach, different to that of many other alliances GHD has been involved in. We will be encouraging collaboration, but at the same time preparing to be ready to address a second wave of COVID-19.”  

“Our design is being undertaken in MX, Revit, Civil 3D, Infraworks and 12d, hosted across ProjectWise, BIM 360 and 12d Synergy. This approach leverages the strengths of specialist software packages, while facilitating coordination and the production of visualisations for community engagement. We’re also leveraging Dynamo for Civil 3D 2020 for automation and to improve the efficiency of model development,” adds Erik.

GHD has a history of providing critical infrastructure with Main Roads spanning some of its most significant projects over the last decade, including Gateway WA, Southern Gateway Alliance, City East Alliance and the Metropolitan Road Improvement Alliance.

Alex Piper, GHD’s Operations Manager, Western Australia says “We are thrilled to continue our positive relationship with clients like Main Roads to deliver projects that collectively make the world a better place to live.”

“This is a great opportunity for our Western Australian teams to collaborate and deliver a significant project for the community in a time when the economy needs it most,” says Alex.

Construction is likely to start in September 2020, and is expected to be completed in 2023.